The largest number of women in Irish history will take their seats in the new Dail (Irish Parliament) next week.

Fine Gael, the party that won the most overall seats in the general election on Friday, has fielded five successful female candidates: Aine Collins in Cork North West, Regina Doherty in Meath East, Heather Humphreys in Cavan-Monaghan, Michelle Mulherin in Mayo and Mary Mitchell O'Connor in Dublin South.

Three of Fine Gael's sitting TD's (Members of Parliament) Lucinda Creighton in Dublin South East, Catherine Byrne in Dublin South Central and Olivia Mitchell in Dublin South were all re-elected.

Former senators Frances Fitzgerald in Dublin Mid-West and Nicky McFadden in Longford-Westmeath have also become TDs.

The Labor Party, which is expected to form a coalition government with Fine Gael next week, also returned five of its sitting TDs: Joan Burton in Dublin West, Kathleen Lynch in Cork-North Central, Jan O'Sullivan in Limerick City, Roisin Shortall in Dublin North-West and Joanna Tuffy in Dublin Mid-West.

Two new Labor candidates also won seats - Ciara Conway in Waterford and Anne Phelan in Carlow-Kilkenny.

Sitting Independent TD Maureen O'Sullivan regained her seat in Dublin Central and will be joined in the Dail by Catherine Murphy in Kildare North.